Flange oiler



Feb. 13, 1.940. A *Tx-:ccA ET AL FLANE OILER Filed Aug. 9, 19158nnentors #a III v M uz @Z0 279cm/ 22% am W dttorne S.

Patented Feb. 13, 1940 i srrss rarsNr OFFICE i FLANGE ormal Angelo Teccaand Patrick Tecca, Livingston, f

Mont.

Application August 9, 193s, serial No. 223,914

2 Claims.

requisite quantities to the iianges of locomotives i driving wheels andother wheels in orderlto reduce wear, to facilitate the movement of thevehicles about curves, and to compensate for the friction due to thelateral movement of locomo- 0 tives.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterwhich will function particularly in an automatic manner when thethrottle is opened. f

A further object of the invention is toA provide a device which willcause the oil to be forcibly siphoned from an oil reservoir by steamaction, which involves the same steam action that opens the valve whichplaces the device in lubricating communication with the wheel iianges.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a simple arrangement foraccomplishing the above described purposes; to so construct the deviceas to admit of ready accessability to; interior parts for the purpose ofcleaning-draining,

removal and repair of broken or worn parts; and

to lend itself to the proper adjustability of `oil deposit.

With the foregoing and other objects in view,

the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be moreparticularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawing, wherein like symbols refer to like or correspondingparts throughout the several views.`

Figure l is a vertical section, with parts broken away, showing theimproved device as appliedto the iiange of a locomotive wheel, thedevice being shown in closed position.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section line 2-2 in Figure l, and v Figure 3 isa fragmentary vertical section similar to Figure l showing the parts inopen position.

taken on the 55 l2 is designated at i li and I6 designates a threadedbushing through which the oil feed rod l2 extends'whereby the handle l5lies externally of the device for ease in setting such rod.

The oil is supplied to the Y coupling I4 and oil 60 feed tube `i3through a connection Il which ex- Referring more particularly tothedrawing ill (ol, isi-s) tends down from a reducer or valve housingyl8r Within the housing is mounted for reciprocation an oil valve i 9having a bevel seat for closing upwardly against a bevel seat 20 formedupon the lowerreduced and externally threaded end 2l of a hollow barrel22. The valve-housing I8 may be threadedupon the external threads ofthereduced end 2|.` Y

1 The valve I9 may be threaded or otherwise secured upon the lowerexternally threadedend of the plunger rod o-r stem 23 and a lock nut24`serves to hold the valve I9 against displacement `from the plunger rod.l

The barrel 22 is traversed axially `by a bore 25 through which theplunger rod 23 slides vertically o1' axially; the upper portion ofplunger rodV 23 having an external diameter substantially the same asthe ilnternal diameter of thebore 25 and being tted substantially tosaid bore with a tight sliding t. However, the lower portion `of plungerrod 23is reduced in diameter forming with the bore 25 an annular chamber26 communicating at all times irrespective of the position of plungerrod 2li with an oil feed duct 2l which opens through barrel 22 into theinterior space of the f oil reservoir 23.' Entrance of oil fromreservoir 28 into duct 2l is under the'control of a needle valve 29which passes through a stuing box 3D and has an exposed end lfsuitable`for receiving a crank, wrench, key or the like retained by someauthorized person for the purpose of adjusting the needle valve 29toward and from its seat 32 in the duct 21. l n

At the upper end of the rod 23 is a plunger 33 traveling in a cylinder34 and having piston rings 35 and a seat at its lower edge for acting toclose against a seat 35 formed in the barrel 22 at the upper end of alarge well or socket 31. In the socket is disposed a coil springtactingto nor-- mally raise the plunger valve 33 olf the seatA 36.

`'Iheplunger 33 and itsI plunger rod 23` are traversed from end to endby a passage or bypass 35i placing the chamber above the plunger 33 indirect and open, although restricted, communication at all times withthelower part or the valve housing i8 below the vvalve l il.

The barrel 22 l projectsy both upwardly and downwardly through thereservoir 28 and may be welded to the reservoir as indicated at 4G and Mto produce a tight leak-proof t.

The upper projecting end of the barrel may be externally screw threadedto removably receive the cap i2 through` which steam is led by pipe itfrom an yappropriate source, for instance from the locomotive valvechest or piston valve. t l

Oil is supplied to the reservoir 28 through a filling neck lill yhavingthereina iilter screen 45, the neck being ordinarily closed by a closurecap t@ having a breather opening 41 therein. At 48 is shown a drainvalve. Cleaning plugs downwardly through the passage 39, such steamissuing out of the lower end of the plunger rod and having a siphoningaction upon the oil in the reservoir tending to draw this oil out of thereservoir through the duct 2l into chamber 25 and down through the valvehousing i3. Here the oilbecomes commingled with the steam and atomizedby it to some extent.v

flows down into theoil feed tube i3 and is deposited by the oil feed rodi2 upon the inside` of the flange li of the locomotive wheel. As manyfeed tubes may be connected to valve housing I8 as there are wheels onthe locomotivel or other vehicle.

As soon as the throttle is shut off or the steam pressure above theplunger 33 falls below the value of coil spring 38, such spring willcome into action elevating the plunger 33 from its seat 36 and closingthe oil valve i9 against its seat 20. This condition of the rparts isshown in Figure 1. Therefore neither steam nor oil will flow out thevalve housing I8. However the parts are held in readiness for future oeration as soon as' steam is turned into cap G2.'

As the oil is withdrawn from reservoir 2t air may enter through thebreather opening 4'! thus enabling the device to freely function. Theamount of oil withdrawn is under the influence of the needle valve 29.Thus the proportion of oil to rsteam may be nicely regulated.

It will be noted that the oil reservoir 28 rsurrounds the operatingparts of the device through which operating parts the steam passes thus'communicating considerable heat and raising the temperature of theseparts. The parts metal have a high conductivity, thereby radiating heatthroughout the body of lubricant in the oil reservo-ir 28. This isimportant to maintain the oil in a proper condition of fluidity at alltimes, even in the winter and in cold weather. inasmuch as the faithfulperformance of the device largely depends upon the liquid condition ofthe oill` The seat 3E against which the beveled lower edge of plunger 33engages acts in a dual capacity; rst, thesevparts act as a stop to limitthe downward movement lof the plunger and oil valve i9, it 'beingdesirable that the oil valve` shall not move down far enough for it orits lock nut 24 to engage the lower portion of the mixing housing i8 orto clog the mouth of the pipe connection Il; secondly, these parts forma valve seat sealing the device at 3 to prevent any steam from escapingdown upon the outside of the cylinder 3ft past the shoulder 36, therebyforcing all of the steam through the passage 39 and guaranteeing therebya constant flow of steam to force the oil from the point 2U through theconnection i'l and into the tube I3. In this way all of the oil comingout the chamber The mixture' 26 will be forced directly onto the flangeof the wheel. y

It will be further understood that in accordance with the presentinvention the distribution of oil is evenly regulated.

It has been found in some instances during the operation of the devicethat the needle valve 29 has been tampered with so that the flow of oilthrough the duct 21 is either too great or too small. Therefore, it iswithin the spirit of this invention to omit the needle valve 29, leavingthe duct 21 of desired size and the stuffing box 30 may either beeliminated or the opening therethrough closed by a suitable plug. Inthis way the lower valve, I9 and 2li, is found suiiicient for regulatingthe flow of oil and steam down through the device.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in thedetails of construction and design of the above specifically describedembodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof,such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A wheel flange oiler comprising depositing means forthe oil upon theflange, a mixing housing for oil and steam in communication with saiddepositing means, a hollow barrel connected to said housing, an oilreservoir extending about said barrel, a plunger rod movable axially inthe hollow barrel, a plunger at the upper portion of said rod, an oilvalve at the lower end of said rod, said barrel having a valve seat forsaid oil valve, means for normally raising said plunger, plunger rod andoil valve, a steam head space above said plunger rod in communicationwith a source of steam supply, said plunger rod having a steam passageextending therethrough and in open communication with said head spaceand said housing, said plunger rod having an annular chamber thereaboutwithin the bore of the hollow barrel, said barrel having an oil feedduct in communication with said chamber and with the oil reserl voir inall positions of the plunger rod.

2. A wheel flange oiler comprising depositing' means for the oil uponthe flange, a mixing housing connected to said depositing means, ahollow barrel having its lower end connected to said housing andprovided with a valve seat, a valve in the housing closing upwardlyagainst said seat, a plunger rod fitted to reciprocate in said hollowbarrel and carrying said valve,

a chamber about said plunger rod in said barrel,

an oil reservoir extending about said barrel and in communication withsaid chamber, a plunger connected to said plunger rod, a steam headspace for said plunger, means for placing said -steam head space incommunication with a source `70 the chamber 1s 1n open communicationwith the oil reservoir in all positions of the plunger rod.

ANGELO TECCA. PATRICK TECCA.

